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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Feb 4, 2015
February 4, 2015
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The White House:
The White House said yesterday that PRESIDENT OBAMA believes it is "irresponsible" for parents not to vaccinate their children, but does not think the federal government should mandate the practice. Spokesman JOSH EARNEST told reporters, "It shouldn't require a law for people to exercise common sense and do the right thing."
He added, "Failing to do so only puts at risk those families that have small children who can't be vaccinated against the measles until they're 12 months old, or also puts at risk those children that have compromised immune systems that also can't get the measles vaccine... That's why the president believes that parents do have a responsibility here, and so it's a responsibility not just for their own kids, but for kids in their community." (Pacelli)Guilty Pleasures:
Get the office pool going --No winner in Saturday night's drawing for the Powerball Lottery. That means tonight's drawing is valued at $317 million ($220.6 million cash value). Powerball is played in 44 states, Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U-S Virgin Islands. Chances of winning the grand prize (all five numbers plus the powerball) are 1 in 175.2 million.
Chic Sh*t:
Trendspotting: Bridal beach shorts exist, and it signals a growing trend toward extremely casual bridal wear. Racked.com says J. Crew just unveiled its $450-dollar bridal shorts alongside its collection of full-length wedding gowns. The shorts are "slouchy white track shorts adorned with hand-applied sequins." They appear in the J Crew "lookbook" paired with a matching white racerback top, that will only set you back an addition $400 bucks. Anthropologie has also gotten in on the casual bridal trend, offering wedding rompers. (Bartha)
Today's police blotter:
A guy in Florida chose the wrong Super Bowl snacks and ended up in jail.
Police in DeBary say 30-year-old RICHARD NIXIE decided to kill five small alligators so he could eat gator tail while watching the big game Sunday. He managed to get the 5-foot gators back to his home before Florida Fish and Wildlife officers caught up with him. It's unclear who tipped them off, but Nixie was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of alligators. He was later released on $500-dollars bail. (Still)Food and Nutrition:
Vegan meatballs are on their way to an Ikea near you this spring. The website Eater.com reports that the put-together-furniture superstore decided to roll out a vegan version of Ikea's famous Swedish meatballs after some hard lobbying from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. (PETA.) Ikea made vegetarian Swedish meatballs available last year, but PETA demanded vegan meatballs to "ensure that all customers leave the store satisfied."
FYI: For everyone wondering, "Seriously?" and "What's the difference between vegan and vegetarian, anyway?" Vegans eliminate all animal products, including dairy and eggs, from their diets. Vegans also tend to stay away from any clothing or other products (like leather) made from animal products. Vegetarians give up meat and poultry, and usually also fish. But they may eat dairy and egg products, and are generally more relaxed about using clothing or other products that are made from animals. (Bartha) -
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